Excellentia International

It is an herbaceous plant whose stems are reed-like and whose leaves are lanceolate and sheathing. The ripped fruit consist in a pod that is capsule-like, where several small, black and aromatic seeds are protected. Those seeds could be green, brown or white, but the most appreciated one in commercial qualities are green. It is native to India and it was considered the "queen of spices" due to its delicious aroma and its high commercial value. The oil is liquid, almost colorless to pale yellow, and has a warm, spicy and cineole odor. The yield of essential oil obtained from Cardamom is between 4 and 5%. This oil is not very important in terms of quantities produced, but it is significant for its use, as it is very appreciated in the production of many flavors for confectionery, aniseed products, and currently in many spirits, such as Gin, to which it gives a touch of distinction.

The Clary Sage plant is native to the Eastern Mediterranean area and Syria, and it has been used since ancient times for both its medicinal properties and its fragrance. It was later introduced to England in 1562 and from the beginning of the 20th century, it was widely used in Germany for the production of several brands of vermouth. It has large, oval, gray-green leaves, and its stems are topped with long spikes of small and slightly pink flowers. The essential oil from Clary Sage is very different from other Sage species, having a floral and herbaceous fragrance with a dry note reminiscent of tobacco and a musk undertone that work very well in perfumery. The French quality is different from the Russian one, and they can't be substituted for each other. China production is mainly for its domestic consumption, using the absolute to isolate "Sclareol" which is the precursor for the synthesis of the high-valued "Ambrox".

This plant has a very characteristic conic and tapering form, with green leaves and nuts that appear after two years during autumn. The nuts are green when young and then turn brown and ligneous. Cypress has been historically used to decorate gardens and prestigious buildings so there is almost no cultivation. It also acts as a guardian of cemeteries because it has always been related to eternity. The Egyptians used the wood to make the sarcophagus for mummies because it was practically immune to rot. Cypress is common in the Mediterranean region where it was spread by the Roman expansion. Nowadays, the origin of the plant is Spain (and sometimes Morocco) but the oil production is mainly carried out in France and Spain. The distillation has a yield between 0.5 and 1%, and produces a yellowish oil with an odor that ranges between turpentine to juniper berry.

An annual plant with erected stems and alternate leaves divided in thin lashes that are thicker and wider than those of Roman Chamomile, and 40 - 60 cm high. The oil is produced by water steam distillation with an average yield of 0.1%. This plant is native to the Balkans and has been used in shampoos since the days of the Vikings, because it adds luster to blond hair. It used to be cultivated in Hungary and exported to Germany to be distilled and used in tea form. Chamazulene, a strong anti-inflammatory compound, is produced during the distillation through the conversion of a sesquiterpene lactone called "Matricin" which provides the characteristic blue color to the oil. The oil is a deep blue liquid (sometimes viscous) with a strong medicinal, phenolic, sweet and fruity odor. Its apple aroma is the characteristic fragrance in many herbal skin-care products and it is the reason why this plant is called "Manzanilla" in Spain.

This plant has a very characteristic conic and tapering form, with green leaves and nuts that appear after two years during autumn. The nuts are green when young and then turn brown and ligneous. Cypress has been historically used to decorate gardens and prestigious buildings so there is almost no cultivation. It also acts as a guardian of cemeteries because it has always been related to eternity. The Egyptians used the wood to make the sarcophagus for mummies because it was practically immune to rot. Cypress is common in the Mediterranean region where it was spread by the Roman expansion. Nowadays, the origin of the plant is Spain (and sometimes Morocco) but the oil production is mainly carried out in France and Spain. The distillation has a yield between 0.5 and 1%, and produces a yellowish oil with an odor that ranges between turpentine to juniper berry.

Cade is a species of juniper grown in rocky areas across the Mediterranean. Also known as juniper tar, it consist in a shrub of 3 m height, and the difference with juniper tree is that the leaves that are gathered in threes are longer and have two white strips on top. It has been used since the 19th century to relieve skin and scalp conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and dandruff, mainly in soaps and shampoos. It has been also used in flavorings for smoked products.

It is an evergreen plant that has long stems up to 1.20 m high. In each stem, narrow and green leaves are disposed in two lines. The underground rhizome looks like a tuber and is digitately branched. It is native to littoral regions of India. Zingiber, its Latin name, comes from the Sanskrit word "shringavera" that means "shaped like a deer's antlers". In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger has been very used. Confucius, around 500 B.C., wrote about it in the Analects. In India, Ayurveda names Ginger as "Universal Medicine" because of his vast practicality in kitchen or medicine. The distillation can be perform of fresh or dried rhizome, being the content of Citral usually lower in dried material. The color of the oil varies depending of the origin, but is mostly pale yellow to yellow. It has a characteristic odor: spicy, peppered and lemony. This organoleptic profile is somewhat superior in the fresh distilled oil, due to its higher aldehyde and alcohols content.

Also known as "Rock Rose", Cistus oil is obtained from the water steam distillation of this plant with a yield of 0.1% to 0.3% during 8 to 12 hours (if the distillation time is shorter, then the monoterpene content is increased and its fragrance is less fine and tenacious). With the summer heat, this plant blooms a white flower with purple spots which fall a few days later, and the whole plant exudes a resin which is used to obtain several other products (mainly Labdanum oil and Labdanum resinoid). The aroma profile of this oil is really appreciated in fine perfumery, having amber, balsamic, medicinal and woody notes, and a high strength. It presents a yellow to reddish orange color. These organoleptic properties have been used since ancient times (it is reported to have been one of the ingredients of the royal perfume of Ahassuerus, the olfactory fetishist Persian emperor).

It is an evergreen tree, 5 to 10 m high, with a quite thick bark. Twigs are often compressed. The long and oval leaves are arranged in the opposite way. They are dark green above and paler beneath. The numerous flowers are arranged in terminal or regular spikes. Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and Western India. Back in 2700 B.C., the use of cinnamon was recorded in Chinese medical history. One thousand years later, Egyptians bought it from Asia and used it for embalming mummies. Cinnamon was transported from Ceylon Island and China to the Mediterranean coasts by ships and carried by camels from Persian Gulf. It was traditionally used, especially by Chinese, in cosmetic, in dental products or as a disinfectant and antiviral. It was also used to treat colds, flu or diarrhea. It has been known as Ceylon Cinnamon because it comes from Sri Lanka, the old Ceylon Island. The color of the oil is light amber to dark amber. It has a warm, spicy and amber odor. The yield of the oil is about 1.5-2%, a bit higher than usual yield of other essential oils.